is likely to call to mind issues related to third-world maternity health
care, problems that would have been faced by a great-great grand-
mother, or even plotlines from the historical BBC series Downton
Abbey or other works of historical fiction. But the reality is, women
are dying every day in the United States from complications resulting
from childbirth.
women, and today we are able to utilize several interventions that
have made a significant difference in saving maternal lives. But there
are still many hurdles. Currently, two women on average in the
United States die every day following childbirth. In addition, severe
maternal morbidity affects approximately 52,000 women each year,
according to studies reported in Obstetrics and Gynecology and by
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
the national track record for maternal mortality and morbidity has
not achieved expected goals, with rates not declining. CDC analysis
of pregnancy-related death rates between 1998 and 2009, the
most recent year reported, shows an increase in maternal mortality
rates of more than 48 percent. Likewise, severe complications during
delivery increased by 75 percent and during postpartum hospital-
izations by 114 percent in that same time span.
lower maternal mortality rates, with the U.S. maternal mortality
ratio higher than in many developing countries, according to a
study in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology (AJOG).
for Maternal Safety that was created
in 2013. The goal of the Partnership
is for every birthing facility in the
United States to have the three
designated core Patient Safety Bundles
(Preeclampsia; Hemorrhage; and
Venous Thromboembolus Prevention)
implemented within their facility
within three years. The collaborative
approach seeks to help women,
families and clinicians as it moves
forward."